violentus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [wi.ɔˈɫɛn.tʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [vi.oˈlɛn.tus]^[1]

Forms

violentus (feminine violenta, neuter violentum, superlative violentissimus, adverb violenter); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is apparently from violō “to treat with violence” with the suffix -entus (“full of”).^[2][1][3] Lewis and Short and Köbler connect it with vīs “force”.^[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of violent persons and actions.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

Of persons and animals it meant acting with force towards others, violent, savage, as Terence's very violent brother and Cicero's Antony, “violent and raging”, and of tyrants despotic.^[2][4][6] Of actions and words it meant marked by violence, of weapons destructive, as in Lucretius, and of natural forces moving with destructive power, as in Cicero; of a statement it meant extreme.^[2]

In Medieval Latin it described conduct marked by harmful force.^[7] It survives in Italian and Portuguese violento and French violent.^[1] English violent came in the mid-14th century, and English violence from violentia in the late 13th.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of violent persons.^[2][5]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses the superlative of a brother.^[4][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of Antony.^[4][5]
• mid-14th century – English violent is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Violent, savage, aggressive.^[2]
2. Marked by violence.^[2]
3. (of natural forces) Destructive, violent.^[2]
4. (of a statement) Strong, extreme.^[2]

Related words

• violēns
• violentia
• violō
• vīs
• English violent
• English violence

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press